Page 83 of Dark Awakening: New World

Pulling out a blue fabric pouch, she shoved the bag back under the bed and rose to her feet. "It doesn't matter anymore. We are both moving out of here tomorrow."

He'd forgotten about that. His memory was still not functioning well.

"True. I hope that's okay with the other occupants of the apartment."

"The two apartments." Jasmine moved the tray to the floor to make room for her cards. "We took over what used to be Kian and his sister's personal lodgings. There are three bedrooms in each and an additional room that can serve as an office or a studio." She pulled a stack of cards out of the pouch. "I can't wait for you to get out of here and finally see the blue sky, the sun, the clouds, the city. And when you feel better, I'll take you out on a tour." Her eyes widened with happiness. "I'll take you to the beach. I bet you and Morelle have never seen an ocean."

"Unless the temple was right on the edge of one, probably not."

Nodding, she put the stack of cards on the small table. "I hope I have enough room to do a spread. If not, we will have to do it on the floor."

"How does this work exactly?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Jasmine's hands as she shuffled the cards.

Her movements slowed as she considered her response. "Tarot is just a tool for channeling what's inside of me. I must have some foresight, but it's a weak ability, and I need something to help me focus it."

Ell-rom nodded, trying to wrap his head around the concept. "So, it's not like Syssi's visions. From what you told me, she doesn't need any tools to bring them about, and they play out like scenes from real life."

"Yeah. Her talent is in a different sphere than mine. She gets her visions from the universe or the Fates or some other external force. I just interpret what I see in the tarot. Also, different people can read different things from the same spread."

Jasmine resumed her vigorous shuffling of the cards. "Each card has its own meaning, but the interpretation can change depending on its position in the spread and how it relates to the other cards. It's not just a talent but also a skill. It's important to remember that whatever I glean is open to interpretation and therefore shouldn't be taken verbatim."

Ell-rom's heart sank. The cards were not a portal into the future, and they might not tell him whether Morelle would wake up with her mind intact. Still, they would show what Jasmine's intuition was telling her, and she had a proven track record of being right.

56

JASMINE

Jasmine set the stack of cards on the table. "Put your hand over the stack, close your eyes, and think about your question."

Ell-rom did as she instructed and then opened his eyes. "Do you want me to tell you what I asked for?"

She shook her head. "I don't want it to influence the reading. I already know that it's about Morelle, but I want to see what the cards say before I know the specifics."

As Jasmine began to lay out the cards in a pattern on the table, Ell-rom leaned forward, his curious eyes darting from card to card as he tried to glean meaning from the images.

"This spread is called the Celtic Cross," she said. "It's good for getting a comprehensive view of a situation before diving deeper into specifics."

Ell-rom nodded, although at this point, this information must all be meaningless to him.

Jasmine's hands moved with practiced ease as she laid out the spread, the familiar weight of the cards in her hands bringing a sense of calm even as she felt Ell-rom's anxious gaze upon her.

She turned over the first card. "This card is called the Six of Wands," she said. "It represents the present situation, and it symbolizes victory and recognition. It suggests that Morelle is overcoming obstacles, even if we can't see it yet."

Ell-rom leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the card. "That's good, right?"

Jasmine nodded, offering him a reassuring smile before turning over the next card. "The Empress. This card crosses the first, showing influences affecting the situation. The Empress represents abundance, fertility, and nurturing. It could mean that Morelle is being well cared for, her body healing and preparing for what's to come."

As she continued through the spread, each card seemed to build upon the last. The Queen of Wands, in the position of the recent past, spoke of confidence and charisma, but the Emperor, in the position of potential outcome, made Jasmine pause.

"The Emperor represents authority, structure, and leadership. In this position, it could suggest that Morelle is destined for a position of great responsibility."

Ell-rom's brow furrowed. "Do the cards elaborate on what kind of responsibility?"

Jasmine hesitated, then decided to voice the interpretation forming in her mind. "Combined with the other cards, especially the Six of Wands and the Queen of Wands, it could indicate that Morelle will be a queen. It could also mean that she should have been a queen because I don't see how she can become one on Earth. It also indicates that she will thrive, which is the most important for us at this time because it gives us hope that she will have all her faculties when she wakes up, or soon after." Jasmine lifted her eyes to Ell-rom's and smiled. "I know that is your biggest concern."

He nodded. "It echoes what my mother told me and my sister. She said that the seer foretold our future and that our destiny awaited across the stars. The seer also said that we would thrive and be safe."

Jasmine reached out, squeezing his hand gently. "That's awesome. The cards have just confirmed what the seer saw seven thousand years ago." She turned over the final cards, each one seeming to further confirm her interpretation. "The Star in the hopes and fears position speaks of hope and renewal. The World as the final outcome suggests completion and harmony." She smiled at Ell-rom. "The cards are very positive. They indicate that Morelle will not only recover but thrive. She'll be safe and achieve great things."

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